Pianissimo device for pianos.



J. A. HUSSEY.

PIANISSIMO DEVICE FOR PIANOS.

APPLICATION FILED APR.1I. 1917.

1,289,449, Patented Dec. 31, 1918. v 2 SHEETS-SHEET v M fl ga /6 A a; v i} g H Jig:

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PIANISSIMO DEVICE FOR PIANOS. APPLICATION FILED APR. 11. 19x7.

1,289,449, Patented Dec. 31,1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN A. HUSSEY, OF DE KALB, ILLINOIS.

PIANISSIMO DEVICE FOR PIANOS.

vide a pianissimo device for pianos operable at will by means of a soft pedal or other control and adapted to materially reduce the dynamic effect of a key stroke of given strength without altering either the range of key movement or the resistance of the key to the touch of the pianist. The invention consists in various features and elements of construction cooperating to produce this result and hereinafter described and shown in the drawings as indicated by the claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a vertical section of the action of a grand piano including features embodying this invention and showing the parts in normal position for ordinary playing.

Fig. 2 is a section taken similarly to Fig.

1, but showing the same parts in the position which they assume when the pianissimo device is brought into operative relation. Fig. 3 is an end elevation showing the ac-.

tion bracket, one of the hammers, the hammer rest rail and associated linkage for operation of the pianissimo device in connection with the hammer rest rail.

Fig. 4 is a section taken similarly toFig.

2, showing a modified form of pianissimo device.

For purposes of illustration this invention is shown as applied to a grand piano action, but its principle is not necessarily limited to this type of action and with some modification, it might be readily applied to the mechanism of an upright piano.

In Fig. 1 there is shown the inner or rearward end of the usual piano key, 1, carrying the capstanscrew, 2, through which the motion of the key, 1, is normally transmitted to the knuckle, 3, of the action support, 4, which is shown fulcrumed at 5 in the flange, 6, of the action rail, 7. The typical grand piano action illustrated includes also the repetition lever, 8, and jack, 9, connectlng the support, 4, with the lever, 8, and transmitting motion in the usual manner to the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 31, 1918.

Application filed April 11, 1917. Serial No. 161,369.

hammer shank, 10, fulcrumed as shown at 11 in the flange, 12, of the rail, 13. The position of the string to be struck by the hammer s indicated at 14, and the hammer rest rail is shown at 15 with the usual check, which appears mounted in the end portion of the ke lever, 1.

ith the parts just described, a given stroke of the key, 1, results in a definite movement of the hammer, suflicient to cause it to strike the string, 14, though witha force Which is variable-through a wide range in accordance with variations in the force applied to the key itself. The purpose of the pianissimo device is of course to furnish an entirely different range of dynamic effect in which all the tones will be much softer than those obtained in the normal range. An essential feature of this invention is that the softening of the tone is effected without changing the stroke of the key, 1. This is accomplished by furnishing the key lever, 1, with a suitable pad, 16, at a point nearer the fulcrum, 17, than is the capstan screw, 2, and by furnishing a corresponding pad, 18, on the lower face of the action support, 4, at a point substantially opposite the pad, 16, and by then providing an auxiliary connector shown as a thrust rod, 19, which is normally carried at a position between the pads, 16 and 18, but entirely out of operative relation, either to the key, 1, or to the action support, 4. By means of suitable connections arranged for actuation by the usual soft pedal (not shown), the thrust rod, 19, may be shifted at will from the position in which it shownin Fig. 1 to the position in which it appears in Fig. 2, extending between the key lever, 1, and the action sup- 25, extends for connection at 26, with an arm, 27, of a rocker, 28, whose actuating crank arm is shown at 29, in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

Fig. 3 shows the hammer rest rail, 15, supported and controlled in its up and down. movement by the nearly parallel arms 30 and 31, both fulcrumed on the action bracket. 32. The rest rail is normally held at its lower limit by the spring, 33, acting on the forward end of the ar1n,.31, but would be raised to the position shownby dotted lines in Fig. 3, by any suitable lifter shown conventionally at on said figure and connected with the soft pedal conventionally indicated at 456. An upright arm, 34:, rigidly associated with the arm, 31, renders this member a bell crank in effect, and this arm, 34:, of the bell-crank, is connected by a link, 35, to the crank arm, 29. of the rocker, 28, previously mentioned. Thus it will be evident that upon lifting of the hammer rest rail-,r15, to the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3, the corresponding movement of the arm, 34, will 'swing the crank arm 29, and its connected rocker, 28, to an angle sufficient to move the thrust rod, 19, from its position. shown in Fig. -1 to the position shown in Fig. Since the part, 19, is slightly longer than the normal distance 'between the pads, 16 and 18, it will spread the parts, 1 and 4;, as it moves from the first to thesec'ond position mentioned, and, since the inner or rearward end of the key lever, 1, is already at its lower limit of movement, this spreading of the vparts results in an upward movement of the action support, 4, with a resulting shifting of the hammer from the,

position in which it is shown in Fig. 1 to that of Fig. 2. In other words, the pressing of the soft pedal, or corresponding control member effects an initial movement of all the hammers in the action, which results in bringing said hammers much nearer to the strings, 14, than they would be for normal playing. Theinitial movement thus caused, affectsevery element of the action, but does not in any way alter the initial position of the key lever, 1; and, since the capstan screw, 2, is rigidly "fixed in the key, 1, the k11llCl 1G,'3, of the action support, 4, is thus lifted off from the capstan, 2, and the thrust rod, 19, serves as a substitute connection between the key, 1, and the action.

This being the case, it will be evident that the leverage between the key, 1, and the action, is thus greatly altered because the thrust rod, 19,-engages the key lever, 1, at a point nearer the fulcrum than the capstan screw, 2, and therefore at a point whose total motion is normally less than that of the capstan screw, and, also, since the member,

19, engages the action support, 1, at a point considerably farther from its fulcrum, 5, than the knuckle, 3 which is normally engaged by the capstan, 2. This change in leverage is such that the normal range of movement of the key lever, 1, is now just sufiicient to carry the hammer from the position shown in Fig. 2, into striking contact with the string, 14. Since the strokeof the key lever, 1, effects only this short movement of the action and hammer, the momentum acquired by the parts is much less than when they travel through the longer range of movement, as under normal conditions, and this decrease in momentum results in a material lessening of the force applied to the string, 14.

On account of the change in leverage between the piano action and the key lever, l, the resistance offered by the action itself to movement "of the key will be less than under normal conditions, and the weight of the action, as applied to the key through the thrust rod, 19, is therefore supplemented by a light spring, 36, which is shown pocketed in the bloc I, 23, and arranged with one end bearing upon the arm,.2'1, while its opposite end reacts against an adjusting screw, 37, bywhich the force'exerted by the spring, 36, against the arm, '21, may be varied to a nicety. Thus by properly adjusting screw, 37, the combined load of'the action and the spring, 36, upon the key lever, 1, as applied at the pad, 1 6, may be made to correspond exactly with the normal load as applied ordinarily to the capstan, 2, so that to the musicians touch, the resistance 'ofiered will be just the same as when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 1. Thus the force o fa key stroke of given strengthis partially absorbed by "the spring, 36, and'onl'y a part of it is available for moving the action and the hammer; and this partial force, though acting with greater mechanical advantage, only moves the parts of the action through a fraction of their normal travel, so that "the momentumacquired and the force of the final hammer blow is much less than under normal conditions.

In the modified structure, illustrated in Fig. 4, 2. "slightly different form of thrust rod indicated 'at 38 is substituted for the member, 19, being slidably mounted in a rocker, 39, .which is adapted for rotation through about 90 "by any suitable connection, (not shown), with the movable hammer rest rail, 15. Fig. 4; may be understood as showlng the parts connected with the hammer rest rail, 15, in their position corresponding to that illustrated in Fig. 2, while the dotted outline of the part, 38, indicates the position they would assume upon lowering of the hammer rest rail, 15,, to normal position corresponding to that of Fig. 1. In this construction, the member, '38, instead of engaging di-rectly against the pad, 18, of the action support, 4, extends between the pad, 16, of the key, 1,, and the padded under surface of a pivoted arm, 40,, extending from a pocket in a block, 23 which may be enactly similar to the block, 23, shown in Figs. land 2. The compensating spring, 36., reacts upon this arm, 40, and the outer and movable end of said arm is merely interposed between the upper end of the thrust ro'd, 38, and the pad, 18, of the part, 4:. This construction is somew-hat simpler in appearance than that of Figs. 1 and 2, and renders the action somewhat more compact because there is no structure forward of the rail, 24. Each of the thrust rods, 38, may be retained in the rocker member, 39, by cross pins, 41 and 42, respectively, at its opposite ends, and suitable felt or leather washers, 43, may be provided to insure silence in operation.

I claim 1. In combination with the keys and hammer action of a piano, a pianissimo device comprising auxiliary connectors mounted movably between the respective keys and the corresponding hammer-operating members, and normally out of contact with both and clear of the path of both, but adapted to be operatively interposed between said parts to transmit movement from the keys to the hammer-operating members respectively.

2. In combination with the keys and hammer action of a piano, a pianissimo device comprising thrust members rotatably carried between the respective keys and the corresponding hammer operating members, and normally out of contact with both, together with means for'rotatively adjusting said thrust members into operative position extending from the respective keys to the corresponding hammer-operating members for transmitting movement from the one to the other.

3. In combination with the keys and hammer action of a piano, a pianissimo device comprising thrust members rotatably carried between the respective keys and the corresponding hammer operating members, and normally out of contact with both, together with means for rotatively adjusting said thrust members into operative position extending from the respective keys to the corresponding hammer operating members for transmitting movement from one to the other, said thrust members being longer than the normal distance between said keys and operating members, whereby their rotation to such operative position effects an initial movement of the hammer operating members in the direction of the hammer stroke.

4. In combination with the keys and hammer action of a piano, a pianissimo device comprising thrust members rotatably carried between the respective keys and the corresponding operating members, and normally out of contact with both, together with means for rotatively adjusting said thrust members into operative position extending from the respective keys to the corresponding hammer operating members for transmitting movement from one to the.

other, said thrust members being longer than the normal distance between said parts, whereby their rotation to such operative. position efi'ects an initial movement of the hammer operating members in the direction of the hammer stroke, the points of connection between said trust member and the keys respectively being intermediate the key fulcrum and the points of encounter between the keys and the hammer-operating members when said connectors are out ofservice, whereby the leverage between the keys and the hammer-operating members is altered, so that the full key stroke-is rendered only suflicient to complete the hammer stroke initiated by the rotation of the thrust member.

5. In combination with the keys and hammer action of a piano, a pianissimo device comprising auxiliary connectors movably mounted between the respective keys and corresponding hammer operating parts, and normally out of contact with both, but adapted to be operatively interposed between said parts, and in connection with the respective keys at points nearer the respective key fulcrums than the points of engagement between the keys and the hammeroperating members when said connectors are out of service, and means operating upon the connectors to thrust them yieldingly toward the keys respectively, and yieldingly resist the thrust in opposite direction, to supplement the reaction of the hammeroperating mechanism against the keys respectively when said connectors are in operative relation to said parts.

6. In combination with the keys and hammer action of a iano, a pianissimo device comprising a series of auxiliary connectors movably mounted between the respective keys and the corresponding hammer operating members and normally out of contact with both, the keys having means for actuating the hammer-operating members respectively in the ordinary operation when said connectors are out of service, said connectors being mounted so as to be interposed between the respective keys and the corresponding hammer-operating members as substitutes for said actuating means, and in connection with the respective keys at points nearer the key fulcrums than said actuating means, and yielding means operating upon the respective connectors to thrust them toward the respective keys and yieldingly resist thrust in the opposite direction to supplement the reaction of the hammer-operating mechanism against the respective keysv when said connectors are in operative rela tion between the keys and the hammer-operating members.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at De Kalb, Illinois, this 4th day of April, 1917.

JOHN A. HUSSEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

